March 9, 2015

Monday, 3/9Cherrytree’s Tenth Anniversary Musical CelebrationWebster Hall
7:30 p.m., $35
Collaborations and short sets are promised during this evening celebrating the tenth anniversary of Interscope indie-rock farm team Cherrytree Records. Even Sting’s onstage presence couldn’t prevent his musical The Last Ship from sinking recently on Broadway after only 105 performances, and video-friendly Feist hasn’t released an album since 2011’s Metals, so the two mono-monikered musicians might actually have something to prove. Also on the bill: Far East Movement, Ivy Levan, Matthew Koma, Secret Someones, and the Last Bandoleros. It’s $35 and it’s sold out, but tickets are available through the secondary market. It’s at 7:30 p.m. and the show’s open to everyone sixteen and older. — Richard Gehr

Moon DuoRough Trade NYC
9 p.m., $15
As the guiding light for long-running outfit Wooden Shjips, Ripley Johnson has mastered the art of hallucinogenic fuzz that imagines Neil Young & Crazy Horse on an even druggier high. Turns out Johnson possesses an even larger stockpile of licks to draw from for his other, equally mind-frying band, Moon Duo. Accompanied by singer/keyboardist Sanae Yamada, Moon Duo dial back the feedback of Shjips while filling that space with synthy propulsions, unrelenting guitar-solo majesty, and gorgeous girl-boy harmonies. On its just-released third LP, Shadow of the Sun, Johnson and Yamada chug-a-wug their way to bohemian noise-pop-lite glory with a hooks-dizzy set of “Sister Ray”–era Velvet Underground–meets–the Dead grooviness. Laced, featuring Dustin Payseur of Beach Fossils, set the stage for Moon Duo’s high life. — Brad Cohan

Billy JoelMadison Square Garden
8 p.m., $64.50–$124.50
Las Vegas was once the go-to spot for legendary musicians looking to settle down for a residency, but it looks like MSG and Billy Joel have found a way to take that concept home to New York. After playing a New Year’s Eve show at Barclays, the Bronx-born, Long Island–bred performer, who has provided the pop and rock canon with an endless list of iconic, timeless, and modern standards, is preparing a monthly residency at the Garden from now until we’re sick of him. Judging by this collection of sold-out shows, the end of this East Coast franchise isn’t going to arrive for some time — the Piano Man’s got us feeling all right. — Brittany Spanos

Tuesday, 3/10Scott Weiland & the Wildabouts+Stocklyn+The Last Internationale+The Glorious SonsThe Gramercy Theatre
7 p.m., $28.50
Sure, he’s good at rock-star rampages and rehab reruns. But Scott Weiland‘s true talent — singing and stylishly fronting genuine rock ‘n’ roll bands — is too often overlooked in favor of scurrilous headlines. As frontman for Velvet Revolver and Stone Temple Pilots, his voice and lyrics on such stellar songs as VR’s sexy “Slither” and STP’s mellifluous mega-hit “Interstate Love Song” helped sell more than 44 million records. With current band the Wildabouts, the singer’s glam sensibilities shine, proving Weiland’s talent translates and triumphs no matter who’s behind him. Open to ages sixteen-plus (and younger, if accompanied by an adult). Doors are at 7 p.m.; openers are Stocklyn, the Last Internationale and the Glorious Sons. — Katherine Turman

Dropkick MurphysIrving Plaza
Monday & Tuesday, 7 p.m., $33.50
If you haven’t heard Dropkick Murphys, then frankly, you aren’t listening hard enough. When they’re not busy collecting well-earned royalties from having their music in seemingly every Boston-based movie or beer commercial, they’re sure to be on tour in a city near you. Their latest — the Celtic Punk Invasion Tour with Irish punk acts the Mahones and Blood or Whiskey — brings a little luck of the Irish to Irving Plaza before the band heads home for its annual Boston shows, followed by a St. Paddy’s doubleheader in Dublin. With a new album on the way and an upcoming Las Vegas performance of their debut album, Do or Die, “invasion” may well be the most apt term. All three shows are standing room only and are open to everyone sixteen and older. Tickets are available through Live Nation or on the secondary market for the sold-out March 8 show. — Ashley Steves

Of MontrealPhoto by Chad Kamenshine

Wednesday, 3/11Alabama Shakes+Songhoy Blues Beacon Theatre
Wednesday & Thursday, 8 p.m., $39.50–$59.50
To put it plainly, Brittany Howard is a badass. The Alabama Shakes frontwoman emotes with a dynamic, soulful, raw vocal delivery (think Janis Joplin with a touch of Amy Winehouse) and rages the rhythms on her hollow-body guitar. Hailing from Athens, Alabama (population: 21,897), the quartet are dropping a new record, Sound & Color, April 21, so expect new material like the moody, funky (and Stones-like!) stylings of “Don’t Wanna Fight” alongside stellar staples like “Hold On.” The show is open to all ages; Songhoy Blues open. — Katherine Turman

Of MontrealWebster Hall
9 p.m., $22
Thesaurus-rocking self-absorption, thy name is Kevin Barnes. The hyper-literate glamour puss meditates on late-Seventies-style NYC ennui on his latest album with Of Montreal, Aureate Gloom, whose “golden despondency” (his description) will likely feature prominently tonight. Meanwhile, opener Yonatan Gat is best known for his work with cock-rockin’ Tel Aviv punk trio Monotonix (now defunct). Drummer Gal Lazer and bassist Sergio Sayeg propel him into deep distorted grooves and Sierra Leone–style frenzies on his new live solo album, Director. The show is open to everyone eighteen and older. — Richard Gehr

Friday, 3/13Keb’ Mo’B.B. King Blues Club & Grill
Friday & Saturday, 8 p.m., $55–$60
Although he’d been playing professionally under his given name, Kevin Moore, since adolescence, Keb’ Mo’ adopted his bluesy stage name a couple of decades back to announce his devotion to the form. And while he knows its history backward and forward, Mo’s no revivalist. His refreshingly honest originals, however, often invoke that tradition, along with gospel and soul, and he’s a terrifically articulate guitarist to boot. How modern is he? An intense weekend of couples counseling unlocked a handful of tunes that became the thematic core of last year’s BLUESAmericana. — Richard Gehr

TwerpsRough Trade NYC
8 p.m., $12
Though it’s a world away, Melbourne is a lot like Brooklyn in one respect: There’s no shortage of buzzed-about bands. Twerps aren’t quite as unhinged as Eddy Current Suppression Ring or as nihilistic as Total Control; in fact, the mellow, earnest jams on recently released sophomore record Range Anxiety will draw more comparisons to former tour-mates Real Estate. The crowd might feel a little bipolar as Twerps cartwheel between idiosyncratic acoustic moments and sunny indie pop, but audience members are certain to have a good time. If you’re too superstitious to catch them at Rough Trade on Friday the 13th at 9 p.m., they’re following that show up with an appearance at Mercury Lounge on Saturday at 10. Both shows feature support from Ultimate Painting. — Lindsay Rhoades

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